


Missed Connections

by Tubular



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining, Porn with too much plot, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:14:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22486165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tubular/pseuds/Tubular
Summary: You think the Circhester gym leader is super charming. He thinks you're super cute.You're both idiots who overthink things and make a huge mess out of it.
Relationships: Makuwa | Gordie/Original Female Character(s), Makuwa | Gordie/Reader
Comments: 20
Kudos: 123





	1. First Meeting

The stadium nestled in the very heart of Circhester boomed with excitement.

Granted, it was always this loud and noisy during any battle but there was an extra tinge of furor surging throughout the crowd. Those who have been following the Gym Challenge circuit knew full well that only the most durable of trainers would make it this far. The energy of the crowd reached a fever pitch as the pride of their hometown took to the field. With a quick wave of his hand Gordie, the Rock-type Gym Leader, greeted his loving audience. The crowd responded with a deafening barrage of cheers, completely drowning out the speakers that announced his competitor's name.

This was your cue to enter. You let out a worried sigh and tried to shake off your nerves as you exited the locker room. At the point you were already half-way through your journey and were well-acquainted with Pokemon battles. Honestly, this should all be a walk in the park for you. So, what was the problem then?

The problem was that you happened to find this particular challenger very charming and you grit your teeth to even think about the possibility that you may have found them attractive. But hey, that’s just what you’ve seen on TV right? You try to assure yourself that it’s all makeup, post-production, and clever editing that could make a person look so good. Afterall, at the end of the day he was just another challenger for you to defeat on your journey. He was just another trainer.

Gordie’s confident grin dazzled in the spotlight as more and more fans called out his name. He had this aura about him that was so self-assured. Some may confuse it with arrogance but that couldn’t be farther from the case. Like the Rock-types he trained, he was built to be steady and reliable. No doubt it was this humble confidence that garnered him the adoration of many, yourself now included despite your objections. 

You groaned as you rubbed your forehead. This was gonna be tough.

On the other end of the field, Gordie continued to greet the enthusiastic crowd as he made his way to the very center, taking little to no notice of his approaching challenger. This was when Gordie was in his element and would no doubt give the audience another one of his usual, stellar performances.

Afterall, it was just another Gym Challenge battle right? He glanced over - quickly at first, but then doing a double-take as he finally noticed who he would be battling with tonight.

At the calm center of this storm stood you. You were no more spectacular or special than any of the other challenges, not really anyway. Whatever facial features you had that helped you stand out were ultimately muted by the garish uniform that the League forced all trainers to wear. All the same, there was just something about you that seemed to strike a cord.

Gordie stood transfixed for a moment, taking this time to actually study his opponent.

You smiled and acknowledged the crowd. You knew that most in attendance were cheering for Gordie but you did have a handful of fans that had been watching your challenges from the start. It only felt right to wave back as you walked across the field.

The crowd quieted a bit as both challengers met in the very center of the stage.

“T-hh,” Gordie was taken aback by the horrible crack in his voice. He cleared his throat as he quickly regained his composure. “Hey there. The name’s Gordie.”

You nodded and introduced yourself, doing your best to maintain some semblance of composure.

“I, um,” suddenly not content with his usual line, Gordie took a quick moment to think about what to say next. He held out his hand and stated, “I hope this match rocks your world.” Behind his shades and cool facade, Gordie was internally screaming at himself for saying such a terrible line. _“AAAAAA-”_ His thoughts repeated, his mental state reaching critical embarrassment. He smile tensed as he felt himself die on the inside. _“THAT WAS STUPID, THAT WAS STUPID, THAT WAS STUP-”_

Thankful for a bit of brevity in an otherwise tense situation, you released the breath you didn’t know you were holding and let out a small laugh. “Thanks! I’m looking forward to it.” A soft, sincere smile formed on your lips as you nervously shook his hand.

_“...That was good, brilliant, excellent,”_ Gordie’s thoughts immediately shifted gears as he saw your reaction. While typically they only served a cosmetic purpose, Gordie was grateful for the fact that his glasses hid the slight tinge of rose coming to his cheeks as he stared at you. He continued to stare, lost in thought, until a loud cheer erupted from the crowd.

It seemed that the audience was thrilled to see such sportsmanship in the handshake but they were now clearly ready for the match to begin.

You took a deep breath as you finally reached your side of the field. It was just another battle. The worst that could happen would be that you would lose and have to try again another day. Honestly, this should all be a walk in the park for you. So if that was the case, why couldn’t you get your heartbeat down? Regardless, you steadied your nerves and called out your first Pokemon.

You came here to win and that’s just what you were going to do.

* * *

It’s not that Gordie didn’t take defeat well. Afterall, what truly makes a Gym Leader is to have not only the strength to win battles but the strength to take the losses as well. Losing to a trainer means you still have room for growth, for change, and for further challenges that you can rise up to. If anything, it’s an honor to even meet a trainer that can defeat you!

However, tonight’s defeat went far beyond any of that. It felt like he didn’t just lose a standard Pokemon battle, it felt like he lost some kind of inner battle as well and it was all because of you. You, who Gordie couldn’t take his eyes off of. You, who commanded their Pokemon with the sharp skills of an ace trainer. And you, who cheered their Pokemon on with such a cute smile that it threw the normally cool and composed Gordie completely off his game. He never had any hope of winning this battle, both on and off the field.

As he packed up his things he went over each and every single mistake he made tonight. The first mistake being how he introduced himself to you and the last being… “I never even got her number,” he muttered to himself as he zipped up his bag. He gently closed the changing room door behind him and began to head on over to the locker room. Defeat or not, this was still his gym and he needed to check the place out before closing up for the night.

“Eyy better luck next time, champ!” Gordie flinched slightly as a Circhester gym staff member firmly patted his back as they passed by him. Although he appreciated the sentiment, he wasn’t in much of a cheerful mood.

“Heh heh, yeah. Thanks,” He flashed them a half-hearted smile before making his way into the locker room.

* * *

You let out an exhausted sigh as you plopped onto the locker room bench. The crowds had left and the stadium had emptied by the time you finished getting out of your uniform and back into your street clothes. The locker room was empty save for you and one other. A Circhester gym staff member closed their locker and gathered their things. They took notice of you and cheered, “Eyy! Great match out there, rookie!” They waved at you as they swung their backpack over their shoulders and left the locker room.

“Oh, thank you!” Tired from the match, you could only muster a small smile and nod as you watched them head out. You thought about heading out yourself but instead decided to lie down on the bench for a bit. Your eyes studied the locker room ceiling as you went over the match in your head. Despite winning, you felt as though you lost something very important.

You rolled your head to the side and stared absently at your hand. So much had happened during the battle and yet the one thing that stood out above everything else was the feeling of his hand as you shook it. He had a firm grip, you could feel his hold, and yet it seemed to you that he took great care in not hurting you. His hand was soft but riddled with rough calluses, no doubt coming from years of training. It was all very much like him and… very nice.

You could feel your cheeks take on a bright, crimson hue as you thought this and you quickly covered your face with your hands. You groaned and kicked your legs in frustration, suddenly feeling very embarrassed about the entire night.

Your embarrassment reached a fever pitch and you heard a soft knock on the door.

“Y’alright in there?”

You quickly snapped upright and feverishly tried to adjust yourself. “O-oh yeah I’m fine I-” You glanced over your shoulder and quickly felt the color draining from your body.

**_“Oh.”_ ** You and Gordie both thought as you now recognized each other.

Suddenly the air in the room turned very tense and, worst of all, awkward. Gordie nervously shifted his stance and cleared his throat. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know anyone was still here…. If you need more time in here I can just come back around later.”

You turned back around and fidgeted with your bag, “N-no, it’s fine! I’m just about done in here.”

The room once again got quiet as neither trainer moved. While normally so confident in his movements, Gordie found himself questioning every little action he wanted to take. Nevertheless, he was never the type to just stand still and wait for things to happen. It was with this resolute mindset that he took a few steps forward. “...Is it okay if I sit next to you?”

He waited patiently for your answer. Once you nodded your head, he felt a huge wave of relief and couldn’t help but smile as he sat on the other end of the bench. The room was still too quiet for his comfort. “You know,” he began, trying to have as casual a tone he could offer at the moment, “I always worry whenever someone manages to defeat my Stonjourner.”

Your thoughts immediately began to panic. Was he upset about the battle? Did he feel that his Stonjourner didn’t deserve the defeat? Oh God, did you permanently hurt the Pokemon? Despite the mental meltdown you were experiencing, you nervously replied, “H… how so?”

“He’s a hefty lad! He faints the wrong way and suddenly I’ve got me a Pokemon as a tombstone,” he clapped his hands together, playfully pantomiming the joke. He looked over at you, anticipating your reaction.

It was such a ridiculous notion that you couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Ah… I guess that really would be a crushing defeat then?” You replied, regretting the terrible joke you made, regretting coming here, regretting life pretty much.

Despite your existential crises, Gordie was taken aback by how bad your joke was and immediately reacted with a laugh of his own. “Yeah, yeah exactly!”

Both of your laughs quieted and the room grew silent again. This time the silence was shared, it was a comfortable stillness especially after such an intense match. A small smile crept onto your lips as you felt the tension in the room eased off slightly. Despite this, you still felt a tinge of guilt from the battle. “I uh, hope you don’t mind that I well, you know,” you mumbled, finding the nerves to talk but not the nerves to look him in the eye.

“Hm?” Gordie blinked quizzically. “That what? You absolutely throttled my team?”

“Huh? Oh, no! Well, yes… But no!” You stammered.

Gordie let out a laugh. “It’s alright! I’m only messin’ with you.” He smiled widely, making a mental note of how cute you looked when flustered like that. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his lap, and began to fidget with the ring on his finger. “Honestly, I don’t mind losin’, especially when it’s a trainer as good as you are. ‘Course I could be better about taking a loss but there’s a lot of things I could be better at.”

“Pff,” you rolled your eyes, “I seriously doubt that. Like what?”

“Like…” Gordie looked over at you, “...Like asking someone out.”

“Huh?” Just as you turned your head to face him you were startled by a sudden noise. Outside the locker room you both heard the muted “booms” as the stadium lights began to turn off one by one. Suddenly the locker room was dark save for a few standby lights.

Gordie bit his bottom lip in frustration, mentally cursing the automatic shut-off system the gym had in place. He pulled out his Rotom Phone to check the time. He glanced down at the screen momentarily before shoving it back in his pocket. “Well,” Gordie sighed, slapping his knees with his palms as he stood up. “I suppose that’s our cue to leave.”

“Oh… Right.” A small, disappointed sigh left your lips. You leaned to grab your bag when you saw Gordie’s hand reach down in front of your face. Your eyes followed his hand until you were finally staring at his face. However now it was far too dark to make out his smile and his shades now fully masked whatever expression his eyes were making. It felt like your chance had come and gone and now, like the gym, Gordie was closed off to you. Having his hand outstretched to you now felt like it was a simple nicety as opposed to anything deeper. Despite this, you still reached out for that warmth and held his hand as you took to your feet.

Gordie held onto your hand for what seemed like an eternity. He wrestled with his thoughts as to what to do next. He could feel each agonizing second pass by and felt that he was getting closer and closer to overstepping his boundaries. He knew he should let go, he knew he should let you go, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it right away. But at this point, he felt like he was just hanging onto a fleeting fantasy. It was pathetic to keep chasing like this. Finally, he wretched his emotions away from the situation and gently released your hand.

You both left the locker room in silence.

Gordie walked a few paces ahead of you, never once bothering to look over his shoulder to make sure you were still following. He held open the front doors and patiently waited for you to exit before him. The cold Circhester air hit your face like a sharp knife. You quickly realized, both mentally and physically, how unprepared you were to tackle such a biting and lonely night.

This cold was nothing new to Gordie. Typically he loved how cool and refreshing the outside air felt after leaving the hot and stuffy locker room. However, whatever comfort he sought from the cold was not present tonight. The frigid, isolated expanse of the town before him stood in contrast to the warm, cozy environment of the locker room just moments ago. Gordie winced and bunched up his shoulders as he braced for the freezing gust of wind that blew through the empty streets. He shuddered slightly and worried about how you were managing the freezing environment. Realizing this, he tried to repress his instinct and desire to turn around and check up on you. He so desperately wanted to be your warmth but knew that such a thing was out of the question. He assumed that your lack of a response to his earlier statement was a rejection and that you were too polite to outwardly say. This was something he knew he had to confirm but, be it nerves or genuine fear, he just couldn’t bring himself to ask again. Afterall, a Gym Leader knows how to take defeat...

“Well,” Gordie sighed as he shoved his hands in his coat pockets, now resolute in his decision, “Good night.”

But just before he could leave, he felt a sharp tug on the end of his coat.

“Wait!”

He turned around to face a cold and desperate you.

“Please… Please stay with me tonight.”

* * *

The rooms at the Hotel Ionia were very neat, very classy, and very expensive. You could see why most trainers opted to just camp out instead but quite frankly you had more than enough of that out in the wild area. It was nice not having to fight off the elements. It was even nicer having company.

You opened the door to your room and briskly walked inside, leaving the door open for your guest. Gordie walked in and stood nervously by the door, completely unsure as to what to do next. “You can just have a seat over there,” you said as you gestured towards the couch. “I’ll be right back.” You made your way to the bathroom and shut the door. You turned on the faucet and let the water run for a bit as you had a staredown with yourself in the mirror.

Were you giving off the wrong impression? Were you just sick of all the niceties that went into general courtship? Was this longing just sexual frustration or the desire for something deeper? You didn’t know. All you knew what that something snapped in you. After washing your face, you shut the faucet off and left the bathroom.

You were slightly surprised to find Gordie sitting patiently on the couch. For some reason you figured he would have left. You studied him for a bit, his face was tense and he was clearly wrestling with some nerves of his own. Regardless, you took a deep breath and approached him, stopping only when you reached the edge of his feet.

“Gordie, I-”

Gordie reached out and tugged on your hands, pulling you into a quick kiss. He loosened his grip and pulled back. The quick action of the kiss disheveled his glasses and mussed up his hair slightly. Gordie licked his lips and muttered, “I’m sorry. Please feel free to say no to stop me. I know this isn’t normal but I just, I need you so badly.”

Not needing any more encouragement, you cupped Gordie’s face with both hands and pressed your lips against his. You leaned forward, slowly making your way onto the couch but taking great care in not breaking the kiss.

Your breath hitched as Gordie gently pulled you onto him. At first you were worried about putting your weight on him but it seemed to be that this was exactly what he wanted. You steadied yourself by placing your hand on his stomach. His stomach was soft with a lot of give and as you pressed down you could feel the layer of solid muscle. Warm and soft but hard and steady. This was just Gordie inside and out. Your thoughts lingered on this as his hands slowly made their way down your body. Not content with so much fabric in the way, Gordie broke the kiss and whispered sternly into your ear, “Strip for me, love.”

You moaned at the command, trembling slightly as you realized the effect this man had on your body. You managed to pull away from his warm body and quickly took to disrobing yourself. Gordie sat back and watched in awe, his erection growing harder as you showed more and more skin. As you pulled off your bra, it finally became too much for him to take. He gently took hold of your wrist and pulled you close to him, hungrily staring into your eyes as his hands roamed across your now naked body.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he moaned as he buried his face in the crook of your neck, planting your neck with a mix of small nips and kisses. Unable to control himself, he pressed a particularly hard kiss against your neck, he teeth grazing at your now sensitive skin. He worried for a second that he may have gone overboard but the resounding whimper that echoed in his ears was more than enough confirmation that you were enjoying this as much as he was. He leaned back to admire his handiwork but was quickly sidetracked by your hand finding his erection. A low groan escaped his lips as your hands rubbed at the hard member forming beneath his clothes.

It was clear that he needed some attention too and you weren’t about to wait around for his cue. You pulled away from his warmth and got on your knees. You only fumbled with his pants for a moment before being able to pull them off and free his growing erection. Despite the short amount of teasing, there was already a small dribble of pre-cum forming at the tip. You just couldn’t help yourself as you took your lips to it and gave his cock a small, gentle suck.

This little action was more than enough to elicit a soft moan from the already desperate Gordie. Even so, he was always a bit greedy. He placed the palm of his hand onto the back of your head. You had no time to process this as he quickly pushed your head up against his cock. Oh how he loved the way you looked right now. You playfully raised an eyebrow as you wrapped your lips around the base of his cock. He winced and pressed against you harder. “Quit being a tease and suck me off,” he said in a low growl, clearly reaching his limit.

Well, you didn’t need to be told twice. You ran your tongue along the side of his erection before wrapping your lips around the tip and trying your best to take in his cock as deep as possible. Gordie threw his head back and let out a loud groan as he felt your warmth envelop his cock. “God, yes,” he hissed out in relief, “Atta girl.” He affectionately ran his fingers through your hair, giving you a small pet before roughly gripping your hair and pressing your head back down onto his cock. He was thankful, but still _very_ very hungry for more.

You bobbed your head up and down his member, pausing every once in a while to catch your breath. In your mind you always imagined him to be a little thicker than other men but you weren’t really prepared for his sheer girth. You could feel your jaw ache as you did your best to keep your teeth from brushing up against his cock. You had no idea how you were going to manage if he wanted this to go beyond a blowjob. Despite your apprehension and worry, the thought alone made the warmth pooling in you grow even hotter.

Gordie leaned back against the couch, relishing in the sheer amount of pleasure you were bringing to him. However, as much as he wanted to treasure this moment and keep it going forever, he knew he was quickly reaching his limit. Without any warning, he sat up and gripped your shoulders. You let out a small whine as he pulled you away from his cock. He sure didn’t expect that noise, but you could tell it absolutely stroked his ego by the way he smirked at you. Gordie leaned forward and gently cupped your chin, his thumb slowly gliding across your lip and wiping off any excess dribble. The action made your clit tremble in want and you pressed your thighs together in the hopes of providing some stimulation. He took notice of this and chuckled lowly. “You know, you could just ask for what you want,” he said as his thumb traced the edges of your lips. While he did his best to play it cool, this was just his way of masking his own doubt and apprehension. He wanted you so badly, but he needed to know that you wanted him, despite the obvious sign currently running down your inner thigh.

You let out a breathy moan as you playfully licked his thumb, “I want you.”

“Want me to what, my love?” he continued to tease as he slowly shoved two fingers into your mouth.

“Mmn,” you moaned as your tongue moved around his fingers, “I want you to fuck me,” you said, feeling a sense of relief as he pulled back his fingers and allowed you to take a breath.

Despite this being the answer he was clearly fishing for, Gordie couldn’t help feeling sheer relief and jubilation. As he helped you up he flashed you a warm, sincere smile that went far beyond the lustful gaze he was giving you earlier. He gently brushed a lock of your hair behind your ear. “On the bed then,” he said before giving you a quick kiss.

You nodded and promptly crawled onto the bed, lying on your back and quietly watching as Gordie stood up from the couch. He made hasty work of removing the rest of his clothing. As he set to pulling off his necklace you held out your hand. “Wait!” He paused and stared at you in mild bewilderment. “Um… keep that on,” You muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed by this. 

Gordie chuckled to himself and nodded. Afterall, who was he to turn down such a request? Now rid of his clothing, he turned away slightly and began to fumble around with something. From the sound of a wrapper you assumed it was a condom. This was soon confirmed when he slowly made his way onto the bed and over you. He planted small kisses here and there on various parts of your skin as he crawled over your body. Once he reached your head, he leaned in to place another kiss on your lips. He steadily moved his hand beneath your knees and lifted your legs over his shoulders. Your breath hitched as you could feel the tip of his cock prodding at your entrance.

“Hold on,” you said, bringing a finger to his lips and stopping him in his tracks. He stopped immediately and began to panic, worried that he might’ve done something wrong. You smiled playfully as you carefully pulled off his glasses. All night you felt they were a barrier and now you were finally able to fully have Gordie to yourself. And oh, you felt your heart skip a beat as you finally gazed into the prettiest pair of blue eyes that you’ve ever seen. A rush of crimson made its way onto your cheeks as you continued to gaze into his eyes, his eyes that were focused on you and you only. You set the glasses aside and nodded, allowing Gordie to continue.

Gordie attempted to swallow the hard feeling he felt at the back of his throat and returned the nod. He pressed the tip of his cock past your lips and moved slowly and deliberately before stopping. You threw your head back and moaned as you could feel his cock stretching you. You knew you should’ve had him warm you up more but you couldn’t help just how badly you wanted to feel him spreading you like this. It was so, so painfully delicious how he filled you all the way up and his movements were so, so agonisingly slow. That said, you were grateful for the slight pause that allowed you to adjust to his girth.

Gordie inhaled sharply and groaned. “You feel so amazing...,” he cooed breathlessly as he gazed down at you. “I’m… I can’t hold back anymore. I’m going to keep going, okay?” You looked up at Gordie and brushed your palm against his cheek. You took a deep breath and nodded.

Despite your mental preparation, there was very little you could actually do to actually prepare yourself for this. Gordie gripped your waist tightly as he pulled almost all the way out before thrusting into you. The force of the action knocked out a loud moan from your body and your moans only grew in volume as Gordie began slamming you into repeatedly. With each thrust it felt as though his cock was plowing deeper and deeper into your body. You knew he was strong, you knew he was big, but you never thought he would give you as thorough a fucking as this.

As he continued to pound into your body, you felt his grip tightened around your waist. It was bound to leave bruises but, if you were being completely honest with yourself, you were looking forward to them. Gordie leaned over and groaned into your ear, repeating your name ad nauseum as his thrusts grew faster and more erratic. His hot breath against your neck was driving you to your breaking point. You were already close to begin with but you knew you weren’t bound to last long if Gordie continued like this.

And Gordie knew this. In between groans he whispered into your ear, “Cum. Cum for me.” Hearing your name repeated with so much want and desperation was all that you needed. You felt a rush of heat course through your body and finally escaping as a loud moan as you reached your climax.

A small gasp left Gordie’s lips as he felt your body tighten around his cock. He dug his nails into your skin as he continued to thrust even harder, clearly indulging in the sensation of your own orgasm. It was almost too much for you, you wrapped your legs around Gordie’s waist and pulled him close. The pleasure was intense, immense, and exactly what he needed to reach his own climax. Gordie let out a loud groan as his cock twitched inside you. Unable to control himself, he continued to thrust into you wave after wave of pleasure hit. Your hips bucked against his slightly as he continued to ride out his orgasm. 

After one last pump, Gordie pulled out and released a deep, satisfied sigh. A small whimper left your lips as you felt Gordie’s warmth leave your body. His arms trembled as they struggled to keep him elevated above you. It was obvious that he didn’t want to crush you with his weight but 1) you were pretty sure you could handle it and 2) you would actually welcome it. You figured you would have said as much were it not for the fact that you were panting heavily and lacked the energy to form even one coherent thought.

Finally feeling some of his senses come back to him, Gordie leaned over and murmured, “Do… Do you need anything?”

You slowly shook your head. “Okay, I’ll be right back,” he breathlessly whispered as placed a small kiss on your cheek. He pulled himself off the bed and set to clean himself off.

Now without Gordie’s warmth, you were starting to feel a slight chill in the air. Despite having little to no energy left, you managed to squirm your way under the bed covers. You could hear the bathroom door shut as Gordie approached the bed. You mentally begged for him to join you and were practically overjoyed when you felt the bed dip slightly. His arms nervously snaked around your waist and pulled you in close.

It seemed like a million questions hung in the air but neither one of you wanted to tackle any of them right now. You looked out the window and stared contemplatively as small flecks of snow floated past. Never in your life have you ever felt more warm and content than you did right now in his arms. There was so much you wanted to say to him but you figured that would just wait until morning. Right now you just wanted to enjoy this moment. With this pleasant mix of exhaustion and comfort, you quickly drifted off to sleep.

  
  


You awoke the next morning to a cold and empty room.


	2. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of a fellow himbo, Gordie finally figures out that the key to making anything work is basic communication.

Milo frantically rubbed his arms as tried his best to retain any semblance of warmth. The Turffield native did poorly in the cold and would always do his best to avoid it. It was only after receiving a desperate text for help that the farmhand made his way out to the icy town and to the doorstep of it’s most popular restaurant.

The bell hanging over the doorway to Bob’s Your Uncle rang as Milo opened the door and briskly walked inside. He let out a comforted sigh as the cozy restaurant environment began to warm his face. He soon recognized a familiar figure at their usual spot.

“A bit nippy out there innit?” Gordie smirked as Milo pulled out the seat opposite of him.

Milo let out a sheepish laugh and playfully shrugged as he set his rucksack down. “I always forget that Circhester only has one type of weather - cold.” He took his seat and scooted closer to the table.

Gordie rolled his eyes. “Well, next time be sure to pack something warmer than a shirt lest you catch your death out there.”

“You’re the one that invited me out here, mate. Don’t see why I’m so deserving of getting nagged like this when I only want to help whatever sordid situation you got yourself into,” Milo said with a knowing smile as he opened up a menu.

The bridge of Gordie’s glasses fell forward slightly, revealing the slightly embarrassed look his eyes were giving. “W-well,” Gordie coughed nervously as he readjusted his glasses, “At least wear something with long sleeves next time.”

“Yes, mum~,” Milo teased, smiling at the death glare Gordie shot at him. “Anyway, I assume you didn’t call me all the way out here just to criticize my wardrobe.”

Gordie crossed his arms and reclined back against his seat. “Maybe I did.”

Milo glanced over his open menu and gave Gordie a knowing look.

Gordie let out a sharp breath of air as he leaned forward and placed his arms on the table. “Okay fine. If it’ll appease you, I’ll give you the whole rundown.”

“Lovely,” Milo responded as he placed the menu down onto the table and gave Gordie his full, undivided attention.

“Okay,” Gordie let out a sigh and quickly blurted out, “I slept with a Gym Challenger.”

Milo gasped softly before covering his mouth. “Gordie!” he chided quietly.

“I know! I know!”

“Isn’t that against the rules?” Milo whispered, his hushed tone giving off the impression that they were discussing something truly scandalous.

“N-no, it’s not. I checked. It’s perfectly legal,” Gordie said as he fidgeted with his glasses, doing his best to cover up his embarrassment from such an awkward conversation. “So long as both parties are consenting adults of course. Which uh, we both were.” 

“Oh.” Milo brought down his hands immediately. “Well, what’s the problem then?”

“Milo I…” he stared up at his friend. “I want to see her again. I know it was just a one-time affair. I mean, this type of thing never happened to me and it all went by so quickly and I got scare-” He paused for a moment. “...I got worried. A-anyway, I couldn’t stop thinking about her all day...”

Gordie raised his head and looked over at his friend. Milo nodded and made a small circling motion with his hand, silently urging him to go on.

The Rock-type trainer returned the nod and continued, “I went looking for her, Milo. The… The whole thing didn’t feel right so I went back to Hotel Ionia in the hopes of catching up with her at the big challenger dinner they were hosting.”

“And?” Milo pressed gently.

“She was gone,“ Gordie stated flatly. ”Checked out that morning and took off without a trace.”

“Oh…”

“And even now I can’t stop thinking about her. Something, something isn’t sitting right with me. I feel strange, anxious, guilty and, worst of all, I can’t do a bloody thing about any of this since I never got her number. I dunno what I’d even say to her...”

A somber, concerned frown formed on Milo’s face as he slowly took in all of this information. Suddenly, his head perked up as an idea came to him. “Wait!”

Gordie glanced up at Milo as he began to rummage in his rucksack.

“You said she took part in the Gym Challenge right? D’ya have her name?”

Gordie nodded slightly as he murmured out a name to Milo.

“Ah, there you are you li’l bugger!” Milo grinned wildly as he pulled out his Rotom Phone. He dropped his rucksack and began to furiously type on the device.

Gordie’s brows furrowed in annoyance. “Y’know, I’m out here pourin’ my guts out to you and all you’re doing is texting. If I wanted to have a heart-to-heart with the back of a phone I would’ve called Raihan.”

Milo rolled his eyes as he continued to type on his phone. “Here, have a look at this!” He leaned over and shoved the phone screen right in front of Gordie’s face.

While startled by the sudden action, Gordie was most taken aback by what he was seeing, Right there, displayed brightly on the cracked screen of Milo’s old Rotom Phone was your trainer card. “W-wh,” Gordie struggled to form a coherent thought as he roughly grabbed the phone out of Milo’s hands and stared intently at the screen. “H-how did you find her!”

A confident grin formed on Milo’s face as he triumphantly rubbed the back of his neck. “Pure Turffield magic I suppose!”

Despite the fact that Gordie was transfixed with your photo, he shot a quick glare at Milo.

Milo laughed slightly. “Okay okay, it’s an app!” The farmhand reached across the table and managed to pull the phone out of Gordie’s vice-like grip. He held up the phone and began swiping his finger across the screen. “See, they got all the Gym Challenge competitors listed on here.” He continued swiping until the roster cycled back to your profile. Milo then tapped your name, bringing up a large detailed menu. “It’s got everything! Their hometown, their registered Pokemon team, videos of their matches-”

Milo was about to scroll further when Gordie held up his hand. “Wait! Go back, go back. What’s that red exclamation mark mean?”

“Hm?” Milo tilted his head forward to take a better look at the screen. “Oh! It looks like the app just posted a video of their latest challenge!”

“Latest challenge?” Gordie paused for a bit as he tried to remember the exact order of fights the Gym Challenge followed. “...Spikemuth?”

“Yeah, looks like it! I think th-”

“Put it on.”

“Uh, okay then.” Milo scrolled through the list of videos posted alongside your profile before getting to the latest update. “Oh! It seems like it was uploaded two hours ago... That’s a bit odd don’t you think? Normally there’s more time in between fights so I wonder-”

“Just play it.”

“Okay okay, no need to get so snippy.”

The farmhand pressed play on the video and set down the phone, placing it up against the napkin holder. Both men leaned in as the video started and the camera panned over the large crowd. The stillness of the scene was completely shattered by a deafening guitar riff.

Milo panicked slightly as he quickly reached across the table to lower the volume as a loud rush of wild music erupted from the scene. A tall figure stood above the crowd as an orchestra of lights flashed in a chaotic frenzy, building up to what would be the song’s finale. The stage lit up as the Dark-type Gym Leader gripped the mic and welcomed his competitors to the field.

Gordie rolled his eyes. “Oi we get it, mate.”

Milo let out a small laugh. “Well, you know how Piers is.”

The crowd continued to applaud wildly as Piers completed his entrance. It was in the midst of this that the camera panned over to a quieter part of the field.

There was a slight hitch in Gordie’s breath as the camera finally zoomed in on you. Like before, there was just this calm about you that Gordie couldn’t help but gravitate towards. However, this calm was different. He couldn’t quite place it but something was terribly, terribly wrong.

Gordie didn’t have much time to stare at you before the camera cut back to a full view of the field. You shook hands with Piers and slowly returned to your side of the field. Piers called out his Scrafty onto the ring and you called out a Pokemon of your own. The match had begun.

Or rather, the match should have begun.

In the midst of the roar of the crowds you stood quiet, seemingly miles away from what was currently happening. Your own Pokemon kept glancing back at you in worry, awaiting any orders from their trusted trainer. However, you never said a word. It took no time at all for Piers to knock out your first Pokemon. This seemed to have snapped you back to reality and you quickly brought out your second Pokemon.

You managed to land a few good hits but your voice was wavering, causing confusion to your Pokemon as they misheard the wrong moves. Without a sure strategy, your second Pokemon soon met defeat.

Milo winced slightly as the Scrafty landed the finishing blow, “Oof. That was not a pretty fight.”

Gordie remained silent and continued to watch with an intense look on his face.

You nervously called out your third Pokemon and stuttered an opening attack.

While the crowds continued cheering on as though this were a normal Poke’battle, it was clear that Piers felt something was off. The Dark-type trainer pursed his lips and stared coldly at you as he switched out his Scrafty with his Stuntank. While seemingly this was to keep the crowd entertained, it was clear to Gordie and Milo that this was Piers’ way of giving you a clear type advantage in the hopes that you would get back in the game.

Unfortunately this was all for naught. Your Pokemon desperately scrambled around the field, trying to fight the Stuntank independently but there was very little they could do without your support. While it was clear that they tried their hardest, your third Pokemon soon fainted and returned back to their ball.

Gordie looked away from the screen. “Enough. I don’t want t-”

“Hold it,” Milo interrupted, bringing Gordie’s attention back to the video.

Suddenly, a deafening silence took to the crowd. All of Spikemuth stood quiet as Piers calmly made his way across the field and towards you. There was a deep hush in the crowd, the silence broken only by the occasional soft murmur.

The camera zoomed in as Piers finally walked up to you and placed a hand on your shoulder. Despite the stillness of the crowd, the two figures were still too far away from the camera to catch any of their dialogue. The crowd could only watch as you whispered something to Piers who only nodded in response.

Piers returned to the center of the field and loudly proclaimed, “Today’s match has been postponed. This is my call. Thank you for your understanding.”

The Dark-type trainer gestured towards his crew. The house-lights turned on.

The crowd stood dumbfounded at what had just happened. A soft wave of hushed questions swept through the audience followed by scattered claps and subdued cheers. No one was quite sure what was going on but if it was Piers’ call then who were they to question it? The crowd slowly began to shuffle from the stands.

The camera panned over and all Gordie could do was watch as Piers placed his jacket over your shoulders and guided you off the field. The last shot lingered on you two leaving before cutting to an advert.

An awkward silence fell over the two trainers as Milo reached over and turned off his phone. Milo could tell something was on Gordie’s mind but he was deeply unsure of how to continue the conversation. “W-well,” he cleared his throat and offered a weak smile, “I suppose that’s one way to end a match, eh?”

Gordie paid no mind to Milo’s comment and mumbled, “I did this to her.”

“Eh?” Milo blinked in confusion. He saw the state you were in and quickly wondered what Gordie could have done to affect you so negatively. He was almost afraid to ask but he had confidence in the genuine good nature of his friend. “W-what do you mean, Gordie?”

Gordie pursed his lips together and turned his head away from Milo. “I kind of just, left them in the morning.”

There was a slight pause between the two Gym Leaders. Mio tilted his head quizzically. “But... that’s what you’re supposed to do when you go to work right?”

Gordie brought his hand up to his temple and rubbed small circles. “Yes but typically you at least TELL them you’re going. I just up and walked out of her room.”

Milo nodded, “Mhm… ‘course that’s also what you’re supposed to do when you don’t want to wake them right?”

“No, Milo!” Gordie snapped as he pounded both fists on the table. “Would you PLEASE stop thinkin’ I’m some sort of Saint! I’m an ARSE. She trusted me, she loved me, and I just walked out of her life! No good-bye, no thank-you, no nuthin’!”

Milo was taken aback by all of this and stared wide-eyed at the now disheveled Gordie.

Gordie looked down at the table, letting out an exhausted sigh as he unclenched his fists. “You saw how she was, Milo. That isn’t the trainer I know. She could’ve taken out that Scrafty in one hit, I KNOW she could have... I did this to her…”

“Aw, mate…” Milo reached over and placed a comforting hand on Gordie’s forearm. “Why not just go and see her?”

Gordie pulled back and brushed off Milo’s hand, not finding himself worthy of any empathy at this moment. His glasses had dropped low, revealing a pair of baby blue eyes on the very verge of tears.

Milo stared in shock at the state of his friend. 

“All she did was give me the best night of my life and all I did was give her the worst morning of her life. The last thing she wants is to see my face again.” Gordie mumbled as he couldn’t bear to make eye contact with another human being. A defeated groan left Gordie’s lips as he leaned forward and buried his head in his hands. His elbows slid across the table, resulting in his forehead hitting the restaurant table with a soft thump.

Once again, Milo reached out his hand to Gordie. This time however Gordie did not refuse and just sat still. Milo gently rubbed Gordie’s back, a troubled smile on his face as he did his best to think of a solution. 

Suddenly.

It hit him.

“Wait,” Milo paused and gently nudged Gordie. “Oi, mate,” he said as he continued to nudge.

Gordie groaned and remained still, keeping his forehead firmly planted on the table.

“Hey. Hey, Gordie?” Milo nudged harder.

Gordie remained unresponsive.

“OI, GORDIE,” Milo stated loudly as he began to furiously shake his friend’s shoulders.

“WHAT?” Gordie barked, turning his head to the side to face his annoying friend. He rested his cheek on the table, not bothering to sit back up. “Can’t you see I’m wallowing in my own self-pity?”

Content to get some response out of Gordie, Milo flashed a wide smile. “Yes and you’re doing a bang-up job of that but listen to me okay?”

Gordie let out an indignant snort as he turned his eyes away from Milo and absently stared at the drink menu he was lying down on.

That was as good of an answer as he was going to get out of Gordie for now. “Now.” Milo leaned over and crossed his arms, setting them on the table. “You slept with this girl and took off in the morning yeah? Cause you was scared of it being a one-night stand and her rejecting you yeah?”

Gordie grumbled something. Milo took that as a “yes.”

“Okay,” Milo nodded, “And you came to me because you said you fancied this girl beyond just a fling right? Went lookin’ for her and everything even after the fact yeah?”

Gordie continued to absently stare at the menu. “Oh, two for one Tuesdays are back,” he mumbled.

Milo rolled his eyes. “And now that you saw her hurtin’ something awful during her match against Piers you think it’s because you walked out on her yeah?“

“What’s the point you’re making?” Gordie asked flatly.

“The point I’m making is that you’re being a complete pillock!” Milo shouted.

“What!” That seemed to snap Gordie out of his depressed state. He sat right back up and glared at Milo. “I’m not being a pillock!”

“Oh yes you are!” Milo responded. “You walked out on her thinkin’ she was gonna walk out on you when in fact the only one who walked out of anything was YOU!”

“...Milo, you’re speakin’ pure gibberish now.”

“No I’m naw!” Milo said loudly as he pulled off his straw hat and thwacked Gordie with it, clearly exasperated by the situation.

“Stop with it!” Gordie yanked the assaulting hat from Milo’s hands.

“LISTEN to me, Mate.” The chair made a loud, abrasive sound as Milo scooched it closer to Gordie. “You just _assumed_ that this girl only wanted a one-night stand with you. You _assumed_ that she would want you to leave. And now that she’s hurtin’ you _assume_ that she doesn’t want to see you, right?

Gordie held onto the straw hat and glanced at it quickly before returning his attention to Milo. “....Riiight.”

“So,” Milo continued, “Have you ever bothered to ask her about what she wants?”

A shocked, dumbfounded look plastered on Gordie’s face. He so desperately wanted to talk things out with you. Only now is he realizing that it was the fear of rejection that kept him from doing something so simple.

Milo let out a frustrated sigh. FINALLY it felt like Gordie was catching on. “Gordie, I love you like you was my own kin,” Milo reached out and placed his hand firmly on Gordie’s shoulder, “But you’re about as dumb as rocks sometimes.’”

Gordie finally smiled for the first time since Milo walked in. This tranquil moment quickly ended as Gordie finally realized what he had to do. “I… I have to go see her,” Gordie said as he frantically looked around the room, his mind racing with ideas and battle plans. “But I-...” He paused, “What if she says no, Milo? What if she doesn’t want me?”

“Then at least now you know and won’t be pesterin’ me with your bedroom squabbles!” Milo said as he jokingly slapped his own forehead.

Gordie let out an annoyed huff. “Well at least it’s far more entertaining than ‘Oooh what berries will I grow? Ohh the Wooloo got out again? Oooh I have so many farm problems!’”

Milo let out a laugh in response to Gordie’s poor imitation of him. “Least I know the berries won’t run off with Piers haha-HEYMPHF!” Milo’s joke was interrupted as Gordie shoved his straw hat into his face.

Despite how much he detested the joke, Gordie couldn’t help but laugh a little. The smile on his face remained sound and resolute as he stood up and gathered his things.

Milo continued to laugh as he pulled his hat away and adjusted it back onto his head. He looked up to face Gordie only to find that his seat was empty. Milo looked over his shoulder and saw that Gordie was heading out the door. “Oi!” Milo called out, “What about lunch!”

Gordie held open the door and looked back at his friend. “I’ll take a raincheck!”

“Fair enough. Be sure to bring your girlfriend next time!”

Gordie held up his fingers, signing V for “Victory” before flashing Milo a charismatic grin and leaving the restaurant. There was nothing else to it. He needed to get answers and the only way he could do so would be to hear them from the source. Gordie was determined to see you again, even if it meant traveling all the way to Spikemuth.

Milo’s laugh soon ebbed into a content sigh as he playfully shook his head. With his usual charisma back in action, there was no doubt Gordie would be able to remedy the situation. Milo opened one of the menus and began glancing at all the food items as his mind wandered.

_“But wait,”_ Milo paused as an unfortunate idea popped into head.

_“...What if she told Piers?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Is Gordie a Himbo" - the greatest thread in the history of forums, locked by a moderator after 12,239 pages of heated debate


	3. Three's a Crowd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> haha what if i were to post a final chapter that's almost twice as long as all the previous chapters? ....unless?

A black and white blur of fuzz darted down the bedpost, behind the trash can, and right through the tall pile of clothing. It was a chaotic scene to be sure but the small, energetic creature had it’s eyes on the target.

“Now, Zigzagoon!” you shouted, “Take Down!”

In an instant the Zigzagoon lunged forward and hit the large Poke’doll with all it’s might. The doll tetterted for a bit before falling down with a soft thud. The Zigzagoon slithered onto it’s fallen opponent and struck a proud pose, holding it’s head up high in victory.

“Aaaaa you were bloody brilliant, Bandito!” came the excited shout from a female trainer with a bright, pink mohawk. The Spikemuth trainer grinned with pride and excitement as she scooped up her Zigzagoon and gave him a tight hug.

You couldn’t help looking a bit proud yourself as you took your seat back onto one of the many pink cushions that were scattered across the floor.

“Well I’ll be a Grookey’s uncle. I guess the lil’ bugger really is only as smart as it’s trainer,” spoke the female trainer sitting opposite of you as she lazily flipped through a fashion magazine.

The Zigzagoon’s owner continued showering her Pokemon with praise until she suddenly realized the comment was a dig at her. “Hey!”

The three of you shared in a small laugh as the trainer put her Zigzagoon back down onto the floor. Despite this small victory, your mood was still a bit down and so your smile quickly dissipated. You crossed your legs and absently watched the Zigzagoon speed around the room.

At the moment you were currently in one of the lofts situated near the Spikemuth gym. The town isn’t exactly known for having tourist spots so there wasn’t much in the way of hotel rooms. Fortunately for you, the leader of the Dark-type gym had a loyal following who were more than ready to lend a space to a trainer in need. While you were initially a bit intimidated by Piers, you quickly discovered that underneath all that hair and makeup was a man who genuinely cared about people and Pokemon.

This is how you found yourself in the bedroom of Lizzy and Vicky. Both members of Team Yell, both dressed from toe to tip in pink and black, and both getting on each other’s nerves.

“Yanno,” Lizzy began as she set down a bowl of water for her Zigzagoon, “I heard that trainers like her can teach just about any move to any Pokemon. Mhm ‘s true I’ve seen it.”

Vicky rolled her eyes. “You can’t just ‘hear’ a rumor and then come out and say you’ve ‘seen’ it. That’s not how it w-Oi!” The Zigzagoon lapped up his drink in a frenzy, slathering water all over anything unfortunate enough to be in the splash zone. “Mind ya table manners, you wretch!” she shouted as she nudged the water bowl further away from her pile of magazines.

“Don’t call Bandito a wretch! And also I know it’s true. Mhm,” Lizzy nodded as she pulled out a tattered Pokemon magazine from her bedside drawer. “Says here that some trainers just have a natural talent for Pokemon but not like ‘smart’ talent. Like they have some weird magical knowledge that we cannae see! Some can even KNOW their Pokemon’s nature right when it hatches.” She emphasized her last point by tapping on a passage in the old magazine. 

“Pfft,” Vicky snorted doubtfully, “That’s just them tabloids tryin’ to sell more copies.” She pulled out her scissors and began clipping an image out of her magazine. Vicky took to her feet and approached the wall behind her, covered from corner to corner with various fashion clippings and pictures of the same short female trainer wearing a light pink dress. “Besides, I think you’re discrediting our new friend here,” she said as she stapled her fresh clipping onto the wall.

“Hm?” You snapped out of your thoughts as Vicky addressed you. The Zigzagoon took this moment to lunge at your lap and roll over, wagging his tail frantically as he demanded a tummy rub.

“See?” Vicky gestured towards you. “Took 3 months for him to stop bitin’ you, 6 months to teach him Tackle, and 8 months before the lil’ bugger even learned his own name. Now look at ‘im! Took this trainer less than an afternoon to tame him and teach him something like Take Down. You calls that ‘weird magic’ I calls it ‘bloody raw talent.’”

Lizzy shrugged. “Could be a bit of both! Hey, are you using my stapler again?”

As Lizzy got up to argue with Vicky for the hundredth time this hour, you glanced down at the now napping Zigzagoon. You never really took into consideration your talents as a Pokemon trainer. Sure, you felt you were good and took down most opponents with ease, but that’s just everyone right? There was nothing special about you, you thought as you ran your fingers through the Zigzagoon’s soft fur.

If there was, he wouldn’t have left you.

* * *

At long last Gordie finally approached Spikemuth. Being so accustomed to the frigid temperatures of his hometown left him woefully unprepared for how miserable the heat around Spikemuth is. He trudged up to the town gate and let out an exhausted sigh as the dark, cool environment of the dimly lit town welcomed him in.

Spikemuth was always a bit too boisterous and chaotic for his tastes. It seemed that everywhere you turned there was either a battle going on or some sort of loud arguments taking place between the locals. They did call themselves “Team Yell” after all so it stands to reason they were quite good at being extremely vocal. Despite his reservations, he knew he could face any challenge in this town and continued down the alley with a surge of confidence. While most locals ignored him, some did a double-take as they recognized him from the Gym Challenge. He could tell there was a bit of hubbub about his presence. Most of the locals assumed he was here on some official League duty so they all quietly watched him from a distance as he made his way to the gym.

Gordie paused at the gym entrance and scanned the area. He wasn’t used to seeing the lights on in this gym. Then again, the only time he’s ever seen this gym was when Piers was holding some sort of concert. He continued to look around when a voice called to him.

“Hey... Izzat you, Gordie?”

Gordie turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw Piers sitting at the very edge of the stage with some electrical equipment and a few of his trainers. “Yeah, it’s me,” he said as he approached him.

One of the trainers held out a cracked teacup to Piers. “Thanks,” Piers said as he gingerly took a sip. He gestured his tea over to Gordie, “Mm…. You fancy a cuppa?”

The same trainer held up another empty teacup. Gordie held up his hand politely and shook his head. “No thanks, bit too hot for me.”

Piers shrugged. “Right, prolly too bitter anyway,” he said as he grimaced at the taste. Not one to disappoint his trainers, he downed his tea in one go and handed the empty cup back to the trainer. He let out a rough cough as he cleared his throat, “Maybe ease up on the Rawst berry yeah? All right then, off with you lot.” Piers waved his hand as he gestured for his trainers to leave. The group complained amongst themselves but complied with Piers’ request.

Gordie watched silently as the group took great care to gather up the sound equipment and make their way off the stage. When the last trainer rounded the corner and left, he returned his attention back to Piers.

With the group gone, Piers picked up a leftover guitar and began absently tuning it. “So, what brings you around, mate? ‘S not like you to venture outside of Circhester. Not that I blame you, I’m not much for socializing either...”

Gordie steeled his nerves and took a deep breath. “I’m looking for a trainer. Thought you could help me out?”

Piers hummed quietly as he tested out one of the chords. “Plenty of trainers around ‘ere lookin’ for work. I doubt someone with your credentials needs my help in finding gym volunteers. Or…” Piers plucked a chord, “Are you looking for one in specific?”

A sick feeling sat in the bottom of Gordie’s gut. Piers was always a bit lackadaisical and honestly, Gordie liked that about him. However, he couldn’t help but suspect that Piers may somehow know about the situation. Regardless, he pressed on, “Kind of. You recall that fight you had yesterday? The one you postponed on the trainer’s account?”

“Mmn, yeah I do remember that,” Piers mused as he continued to mess with the guitar. He let out a sigh and shook his head. “Right shame what happened to her...”

Gordie took a hard swallow. “W-what happened to her?” he asked as nonchalantly as possible.

Piers raised an eyebrow. “Why? You out on official League business?”

“Uhh…” Gordie stammered, panicking slightly as he searched his mind for a fit answer, “M-Milo and I caught the fight and we just got super worried. I know it’s none of our business but we wanted to know and seeing as I’m the closest I decided to go and check it out for him.” He tried his best to pull off one of his usual charismatic grins but felt it came off as strained and forced.

“Hmm,” Piers studied his face carefully. “I suppose that’s fair enough,” he said with a shrug.

Gordie let a deep sigh of relief, thankful that his lie seemingly worked.

“Well,” Piers began in a hushed tone, “It turns out the girl had just been rejected by some fella she’s had her eye on for ages.”

“No!” Gordie gasped, pretending to be shocked and trying to hide the large pang of guilt that stabbed into his core.

Piers clicked his tongue as he shook his head, “Tch. I’m afraid so. Broke her poor heart and ran off without a word. Awful shame too. She’s not exactly my type but she’s easy on the eyes and her Pokemon really seem to love her... It’d take a right pillock to pass over a sweet trainer like her.”

Gordie bit his lip and clenched his fist at the veiled insult. Granted, it wasn’t actually directed at him but at this point he felt the whole universe was out to constantly remind him what a pillock he is. Despite this, he knew he had to say something. “Yeah. A right pillock,” he agreed despondently. “So, anyway,” he quickly added, “Where is she?”

“Oh. She’s around,” Piers said flatly as he ran his thumb over one of the chords. “You know, I don’t like gettin’ involved in other people’s business. Too personal, too messy, too much.”

“Where is she?” Gordie asked again in a sterner voice.

“Why in the hell do you want to know, mate? S… Oh.” Piers groaned as he rested the guitar on his lap and buried his face in his hands. “ **You’re** the one she was talking about...,” he mumbled into his hands. Piers let out a long, tired sigh - the type of sigh that could only come from a man who found himself in the middle yet again as drama always managed to find its way to his doorstep. Somehow he was the perfect conduit for other people’s messes. It was never Nessa that people threw their baggage onto. It was never Bea that people told their sob story to. And it was never Leon that got coaxed into co-signing a loan for a horrible Alolan timeshare!

Despite his frustration at being pulled into the middle again, Piers knew what he had to do. He just couldn’t leave a trainer in need. Maybe this was why his fanbase was so loyal? ...Maybe this was also why he always got wrapped up in other people’s problems? Piers groaned as he took to his feet. “This is entirely between you and her. It’s none of my business,” he said as he walked to the center of the stage, “But even so, I’m not divulging anything until you give me a proper battle!” with a swing of his arm the guitar screeched out a shrill note that rang throughout the town.

“What!” Gordie shouted, grimacing as the loud note bellowed out from the speakers. “Piers!” he shouted over the reverb, “I’m not fighting you!”

“Then you’re not getting to see her,” Piers replied as he began slowly strumming the guitar, picking up both speed and volume. It took no time at all for a huge crowd to begin forming around the field. As Team Yell members ran up to the surrounding gate, their excitement only grew as they realized just who Piers’ opponent would be.

“Is that a Gym Leader?” “Ain’t he that leader from Circhester?” “A League member?” “Oh, I GOTTA tell the others this!” Various audience members realized that this was not an event to be missed as they left the field and ran through the alley, calling to attention any and everyone they could think of.

All Gordie could do was stand there and stare in disbelief as the chaotic scene unfolded before him. He had mentally prepared himself for whatever awkward situation today would hold but in no way, shape, or form did he ever think a Pokemon battle would be part of the equation! There had to be something else he could do but he felt his options grow more and more limited as the crowd circled around the field. His glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose due to his sweat and tension, revealing a low glare pointed right at Piers.

Piers made eye contact with Gordie and could see a unique mix of frustration and desperation boiling in those baby blues. He glanced at the crowd quickly before returning his focus back to Gordie. Piers nodded his head over to the right, bringing to Gordie’s attention the camera crew that was hastily setting up their equipment.

Gordie let out a defeated sigh. “Fine,” he said as he reached for one of his Pokeballs. He readjusted his glasses and called out, “I’ve got nothing to say. I’m here to win!” With a grand motion of his hand Gordie swooped his hair back and gave the crowd a large, confident grin. While this move was far more effective on his loyal Circhester fanbase, the crowd still responded with a resounding cheer. He may not be able to win you back, but at the very least he could win this battle.

Despite the aloof expression permanently fixed to Piers’ face, his lips formed into a small smirk as Gordie’s natural instincts as a trainer came to light. Piers leaned forward and took hold of the mic. “Get ready for a mosh pit with me and my party! Spikemuth, it's time to rock!” A course of manic energy surged through the crowd as they would be treated to what would no doubt be an unforgettable match.

* * *

“Summer!”

“Winter!”

“SUM-MAH!” Lizzy shouted as she held the makeup brush to your face. 

“WIN-TAH!” Vicky shouted even louder as she held up her own makeup brush.

You had no idea why they were arguing like this, both brushes had the exact same shade of pink paint slathered all over them. Just as the two trainers were about to get into another shouting match a loud guitar riff sounded through the air.

“What in the bloody hell…” Lizzy put down the makeup brush and headed towards the window.

“Oi oi, watch the carpet,” Vicky chided as she picked up the brush and threw it back into their messy makeup toolkit. Granted the carpet was already stained with blotches of pink paint here and there but it was more about the principle of the thing.

You couldn’t help but breathe out a small sigh of relief, silently thanking whatever noise that was for saving you from what would have no doubt been a nightmarish make-over.

“Hey, Vicks, there’s a mad rush of people outside!” Lizzy chirped. Not being able to contain her curiosity, she pulled the window opened and leaned out onto the frame. Her eyes scanned the crowd until she recognized someone. “OI! OI JOSH!” Lizzy called out, her loud voice startling you slightly.

In the midst of the rushing crowd, a large man with a tall, pink mohawk stopped in his tracks. “WOT IS IT, LIZ?” he hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth as a means to make his voice louder.

“WHAT’S GOING ON?” Lizzy replied, her voice booming over the frenzied crowd.

“WHY! IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY, LIZ!” Joshua shouted, laughing to himself.

Liz raised a confused eyebrow and leaned back into the bedroom. “Hey, Vicks… Is it Christmas?”

“Ughhh,” Vicky let out a frustrated groan as she shoved Lizzy away from the window. She leaned out and bellowed, “JOSHUA!”

You groaned as you could feel a small headache coming on from all this yelling. The Zigzagoon soundly asleep in your lap didn’t seem to be bothered by the noise one bit. You found yourself envying the little brat.

“IT SEEMS,” Joshua took a moment to clear his throat. He shouted again, this time at a noticeably lower decibel. “Seems a Gym Leader came by to challenge Piers for a friendly!”

“A Gym Leader!?” The three of you exclaimed in shock.

You gently set down the Zigzagoon onto your pillow as you stood up and headed towards the window. Both you and Lizzy peered over Vicky’s shoulders. “Ask him which Gym Leader!” you whispered excitedly, “I hope it’s Raihan, I haven’t seen him battle in person yet!

“Ooooh, I hope it’s that Ghost kid! I wanna see Piers give him a proper wallop!” Lizzy said, turning her head to meet with your confused stare. “What? He creeps me out...”

You laughed before quickly responding, “Oh oh! How about Kabu?”

“That old fire guy? Ohh yeah. He’s very easy on the eyes too y’know? I’d love to share some spicy curry with that hot dadd-”

“Would the two of you PLEASE shut yer gobs!” Vicky scolded both of you before returning her attention back to Joshua. “Which Leader?”

“Dunno!” Joshua shrugged his shoulders. “‘S about all the information I could get from the gang. Listen, I’ll go on ‘head and save you and Liz a spot up front!”

“Save our new friend a spot too!”

Joshua nodded and threw a quick salute over to Vicky before running off to join the rest of the crowd. 

Vicky slammed the window shut before turning her attention to the two of you. “Alright, ladies, you heard the man. We got us a battle to catch!”

“Yeaahh!” Lizzy clapped her hands and she bounced excitedly, her Zigzagoon now wide awake and scurrying around her feet. Both her and Vicky quickly dove into their large closet to change clothing. You pondered about changing your own clothes when before you knew it the both of them were ready. You stared at the two trainers with a confused expression. They looked… exactly the same. Regardless, you smiled at them and gave their attire a thumbs up.

With both girls pleased at your reaction, they threw their arms over your shoulders and grinned. “A right proper Pokemon battle is the PERFECT thing to get those boy troubles offa your mind, love,” Vicky said as she reassuringly patted your shoulder.

“Mhm, Pokemon battles solve everything! Love troubles, money troubles, car troubles… I suppose plumbing troubles but only if you get a really specialized Pokemon,” Lizzy yammered on.

_“Boy troubles…”_ You were reminded of that heavy pit in your stomach that’s been there since that fateful morning. Your worries grew even heavier as you quickly remembered. _“Wait… HE’S a Gym Leader! But, he couldn’t possibly be the one ba-”_ Your thoughts came to an abrupt halt as the Zigzagoon gave you no warning before leaping into your arms.

Vicky laughed. “Haha, even Bandito’s all raring to go!”

“We’re off then!” Lizzy shouted as both her and Vicky guided you out the door.

* * *

If you thought you two new friends were loud, nothing could have prepared you for the sheer chaos that was a Spikemuth battle crowd. You held on tightly to the Zigzagoon safety nestled in your arms, though he hardly seemed as affected by all the commotion as you were. You felt like a ragdoll amidst all the ruckus and it took all of your effort to keep yourself from being pushed even further back. You body swayed back and forth as it was pushed, shoved and - were there people moshing out here? You craned your head up in an attempt to catch a view of the field but this was near impossible with the endless sea of tall mohawks blocking your way. Before you could even catch a glimpse of the field you felt a hand on your left shoulder.

“Careful out here,” advised Lizzy as she helped you regain your earlier position. “Any sign of Joshua?” she shouted towards Vicky who stood to your right.

Vicky jumped as high as she could and scanned the crowd. She continued doing this until a specific bright pink vuvuzela caught her eye. “He’s over there!” She shouted, pointing over to her far right. With a small nod both of the trainers held onto your shoulders and steadily guided you towards the front.

You were grateful for having Vicky and Lizzy by your side because in no way could you have managed to navigate through this crowd. The two girls aggressively elbowed and nudged any and everyone who got in their way. You felt that this was a bit too violent for your tastes but you couldn’t argue with the results they were getting. As this fight for the field ensued, you looked up once again and were finally able to catch sight of the field.

“Hey! Hey I see it!” you shouted excitedly, flashing a thankful grin to your right and then to your left. “Oh! I think I see a Pokemon! I think it’s… a...”

You felt time move slow as a horrible realization soon came to light. The wide grin on your face steadily morphed into a horrified frown as over the crowds you could see the very top of a Stonjourner. The color drained from your body and you felt that low, sinking pit in your stomach grow heavy once again. In an instant your flight or fight instincts kicked in as you tried to whip your body around and make a hasty retreat. “Listen I-, I gotta go,” you mumbled as your panic caused you to stumble over your words.

“Huh?” Vicky whipped her head towards you and shared a confused look with Lizzy. “It’s fine! Look, all you’s gotta do is just KICK people a little!” she shouted, completely misunderstanding your panic. She tightened her grip on your shoulder and began kicking her leg wildly. While this action clearly angered those around you, it ultimately worked and provided the space needed to finally reach Joshua.

“Oi! Glad you three finally made it!” Joshua shouted as he waved his pink vuvuzela over his head. His broad physique was the perfect size to save a decent amount of space up at the very front where the guard rails met the edge of the field. Despite your attempts to run, you found yourself shoved right in the middle of Lizzy, Vicky, and Joshua.

Joshua placed his hands on Vicky and Lizzy’s left and right shoulders respectively. “Choice spot right?” he shouted, clearly very proud of himself.

“Yeah!” Lizzy exclaimed. “So! So! Who's the poor soul Piers’ is gonna squash today?”

Not wanting to look up, your eyes remained focused on the Zigzagoon you were still holding. You could feel your insides lurching, though you couldn’t tell if it was from your nerves or from the fact that the guard rail pressed right up against your stomach. Hearing a wave of cheers from the crowd startled you enough to finally take a quick glance at the field.

Unfortunately for you all it took was a glance for your gaze to be fixated on Gordie.

Undeterred by how far Gordie was from you and how badly you wanted to look away, your eyes couldn’t help but trace over every little detail of his physique. The lights above Gordie basked him in an otherworldly glow as he flipped his hair back and called out another attack. Even though his stance stood sure, you knew that this fight was wearing on him. You noticed the soft ray of light bouncing off the very tip of his knuckles as he clenched his fists in frustration. His hair grew slightly disheveled as he once again ran his fingers through it, though this time seeming more out of a nervous tick than his standard show of bravado. Despite only his back being visible to you, you couldn’t help but feel there was something more going on. Your eyes continued to wander until Gordie looked over his shoulders to flash a confident smirk to the crowd.

A rush of pink met your cheeks as you quickly held the Zigzagoon in front of your face. You peered out from behind the small creature only to see that he returned his attention back to the fight. You let out a small, disappointed sigh. Oh well. It’s probably for the best.

Another loud wave of cheers erupted from the crowd as Piers’ Skuntank landed a finishing blow. Gordie bit his bottom lip in dissatisfaction as he was forced to call his Stonjourner back into its Pokeball. The scoreboard lit up with the updated tally, displaying to the crowd that Piers had two Pokemon left while Gordie had just one Pokemon remaining.

Piers tilted his head and raised an eyebrow before calling out, “Don’t forget, we can’t Dynamax out here... We play it rough, we play it quick, we play it loud! Isn’t that right, Spikemuth!” The crowd responded with an intense arrangement of whoops and horns as they cheered for their hometown. At this point the crowd was whipped into a wild frenzy as they began chanting Piers’ name.

“Oi oi oi! Piers Piers Piers!” chanted Lizzy and Vicky in tandem. You furrowed your brows and scanned the crowd. Was everyone seriously on Piers’ side? Not that there’s ever “sides” to a Pokemon battle but seldom have you ever heard only one name being cheered. You looked over at Gordie and could tell that this was clearly having an effect on him. This sort of thing would affect anyone’s confidence, but to a charismatic people-pleaser like Gordie this must be pure hell. You felt a sharp pang of guilt as your heart and your gut were at odds as to what to do next. Before giving yourself another chance to run, you quickly handed the Zigzagoon over to Lizzy before stepping onto the metal slip at the bottom of the guard rail. You leaned over the railing as best you could and cupped your hands.

Gordie winced slightly at the barrage of cheers and jeers coming from the audience. He expected today to be difficult, he knew he was horrible at dealing with relationships. He also expected his fight to be difficult, there’s a reason Spikemuth is the challenge directly following his. But the one thing he didn’t expect to be so difficult was maintaining his usual cool facade in the face of such a one-sided crowd. He knew the residents of Spikemuth loved their gym leader and that they didn’t take to outsiders very well, but damn if he didn’t feel like he was attending a public lashing with him right in the stockades.

He let out a defeated sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair again. Maybe this was just the sort of thing he needed to keep his ego in check. Maybe this was something he truly deserved. This trip of self-wallowing was quickly halted as he heard someone call out his name. The voice was small in comparison to the rest of the audience, but it tinged with such familiarity that it nagged at the back of his skull and demanded his full attention. He whipped his head and frantically searched the crowd, looking for any sign of who the voice belonged to.

“Gordie! Gordie! Gordie!” you cheered, each shout of his name hastily followed by two claps as you tried your best to replicate the chants you overheard in Circhester. Vicky and Lizzy both stopped their own cheering to stare at you, both confused by your sudden outburst and shocked with the decibels you were reaching. You could feel the palms of your hands grow raw with each clap but you continued on. You knew your voice couldn’t compete with the score of people behind you, but with each passing cheer your chanting and clapping grew louder and louder until you were practically screaming his name. “GORDIE! GORDIE! GORDIE!”

At long last, Gordie turned to face you.

Gordie’s mouth was agape as he stared in disbelief. With shaky hands, he slowly pulled down his glasses to get a proper look of you. Now unhampered by the blue hue of his shades, the image of you seemed like a mirage; ethereal, beautiful, ...and ultimately unattainable. He feared that you would vanish were he to look away so he continued to gaze at you, completely forgetting everything else.

You met with Gordie’s face and immediately a bright crimson hue began to warm your own. You could feel the intense warmth grow even hotter as he pulled his glasses off, revealing the baby blues that led to your undoing and all of this heartache. His gaze was almost too much for you to take and you felt every synapse in your brain begging you to turn and run. Still, you knew you had to do something and fought against the aching desire in your heart to flee. You stood resolute as you shrugged off the rest of your inhibitions and took a deep breath. “GORDIE!” you screamed again, “KICK HIS ARSE!” You snatched the pink vuvuzela out of Joshua’s hands and blew into the horn with so much force that it made you a bit light-headed.

The sharp, grating blare of the plastic horn snapped Gordie from his daydream and brought him back to the real world. As scared as he was that you disappear again and as badly as he wanted to run to your side, he knew had a different challenge to deal with first. With the power of your support and a clear motivation back in mind he reached for his last Pokeball.

“I'm not crumbling to dust just yet!” Gordie shouted as he slipped his glasses back on and turned to face Piers. His face lit up in a dazzling, courageous smile as he twirled the Pokeball in his hand. “We can still battle!" In an instant his Coalossal took the field, it’s size still towering over all despite not being able to Dynamax out here. Gordie gestured to his Coalossal and the earth began to tremble as large rocks emerged from the ground and quickly encased the weakened Stuntank. Rock Tomb was by no means the strongest move, but it was effective. The pile of rocks quickly crumbled, revealing Piers’ Stuntank as being out of commission. The crowd roared with excitement as the overhead display now marked that each trainer was down to their last Pokemon.

Gordie looked over his shoulder and flashed an ecstatic smile your way.

Your heart skipped a beat and you mentally remarked on just how… cute he was. You couldn’t help but share in his enthusiasm with the way he looked at you. Despite your desire to continue looking at him, you knew there were more important matters at hand. With another shout of his name you gestured towards the field.

Gordie returned his attention to the match and watched carefully as Piers withdrew his fainted Skuntank from the battle. Despite his Skuntank being taken out with just one hit, Piers seemed oddly pleased with Gordie’s sudden change in attitude. He shared a small, knowing smile with Gordie before gripping onto the mic. "I don't do encores, get it? Not songs... Not moves... Not Pokémon!" he shouted into the mic, pausing for a moment to allow his audience to cheer on. He pulled the last Pokeball from his belt and shouted, “Now get ready to face the proud, high roar of my Obstagoon!”

The formidable Pokemon clad in black and white emerged from the Pokeball and raised its claws, letting out a mighty roar the echoed across the field. The crowd responded with a roar of their own, their cheering reaching a fever pitch as now the final round of the match had begun.

“That rock Pokemon’s a rock type innit?” remarked Lizzy, “I know Obstagoon’s a tough lad but I can’t imagine those claws being able to do much against literal rock.” She nodded as she looked down at her own Zigzagoon’s paws.

“Pfft please,” Vicky rolled her eyes, “It’s just a bunch of pebbles, what’s the most that Coalassal can do? Ain’t that right?” Vicky turned to look over at you but got no answer.

You clenched your fists and remained focused on the ensuing fight. From your own battle with Gordie in Circhester you knew that most of his endgame strategy revolved around Dynamaxing. You flinched slightly as the Obstagoon’s Shadow Claw attack bore into the Coalassal. That said, you knew that this was a challenge Gordie could win without Dynamaxing. He just had to think about what his Coalassal had over Piers’ Obstagoon.

Gordie studied the Obstagoon carefully as Piers called out another attack. The Obstagoon was fast, almost too fast for his Coalassal, but not the fastest. What really helped it out in the field was how light it was on its feet.

“That’s it!” Gordie exclaimed as he found the answer. The end of this battle was now in sight. More importantly though, the opportunity to be with you again was just within his reach. He flashed a smirk to Piers as he called out, “Heat Crash!” A wave of heat arose from the Coalossal as it barreled into Piers’ Obstagoon. The sheer force of the attack swept up a large gust of hot, dry air as it blew over the field and onto the audience.

Piers winced as he hid his face behind his arms and placed a foot forward in an effort to steady himself. As the wind calmed, he slowly brought his arms down and looked out into the field. The audience groaned and coughed, relatively quiet for once.

The dust settled and revealed the Obstagoon still standing.

You watched with rapt attention.

The audience held their breath.

The Obstagoon took one step forward before collapsing to the ground.

A large barrage of sound exploded from the frenzied audience. The overhead display rang out, declaring Gordie as the winner and eliciting even more cheers. This time however, the cheers rang out for both competitors.

The loudest cheer came from you. Gordie once again looked over his shoulder only to see you shouting with delight and clapping as hard as you could. Your face radiated with sheer jubilation as you grinned from ear to ear. 

Piers shrugged as he withdrew his fainted Obstagoon from the field. “Me an' my team gave it our best.” He said as he held out his hand towards Gordie, “Let's meet up again for a battle some time…”

Gordie snapped his attention away from you and faced Piers. He grinned widely as he took Piers’ hand and gave it a hearty shake. “Thanks, I’m lookin’ forward to it!” Before he could even let go of Piers’ hand both men were suddenly bombarded by a large crowd as they took to the field, aiming to get either a selfie, an autograph, or an interview with the two gym leaders. Typically Gordie loved post-win interviews but this couldn’t have been the worst time or place for them. The noise in the gym was deafening and the chaos that ensued was disorientating as people began shuffling out the door.

Gordie could only watch as your face had disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

Despite the victory over Piers, Gordie felt like he lost a truly important final round.

Amidst all the chaos of his stunning win and the swarm of people that took to the field in celebration, he lost sight of you. He passed by fan after fan, frantically searching for your face, until the crowds began to thin. Now the gym had emptied and any trace of you was gone for good. All that was left was the hope that Piers’ advice would hold true. His mind kept telling him to go out and find you, to run off into the alley, to do SOMETHING but… Running off is what got him into this mess in the first place.

And so, he waited.

Gordie stood against the stage with his arms crossed as he kept anxiously glancing at the gym’s entrance. Various people had come and gone, each one starting off as a hopeful surprise before turning into a bitter disappointment when he realized they weren’t you.

“Mn, no need to be so glum…” Piers hummed as he sat on the stage scribbling some lyrics into a tattered notebook. “You came to her, now it’s up to her to come to you. You gotta make this her choice…” Piers really didn’t want to keep being involved in this mess but once again his kind nature took precedence. He couldn’t just leave Gordie out here waiting by himself, especially when this was his idea and there was a good chance you wouldn’t turn up again.

“And what if she chooses not to come?” Gordie asked, his eyes remaining intensely focused on the gym’s entrance.

Piers shrugged. “Then you have her answer and my approval to channel this whole experience into some choice lyrics.” He nodded as he continued to scribble notes.

Gordie rolled his eyes and was about to reply with his own snarky answer when he saw a trio of shadows slowly coming up to the gym’s entrance, two very clearly with tall mohawks. He watched with mild annoyance as yet again his hopes have been dashed and he could hear the loud, shrilling voice of what was most likely another Team Yell member. A deep, disappointed sigh left his lips as he looked down and lowered his arms. He felt pathetic waiting here.

Just as he was about to take his leave, he heard a familiar voice that tugged at his heartstrings.

“H-hello again,” you said quietly, a small insecure smile forcing its way onto your face.

Gordie’s smile instantly came to life again as his whole demeanor lit up with pure joy. A flurry of emotions hit him hard. He felt giddy, he felt nervous, he felt ecstatic, he felt… like two sets of daggers were pointed right at him.

Before Gordie could even take a step towards you both Lizzy and Vicky blocked the way and were glaring viciously at Gordie. “Look, I don’t care WHO you are and what GYM you run, okay? You’ve gotta be better to our new friend or ELSE,” Lizzy emphasized this threat by holding up a growling Zigzagoon. 

Vicky rolled her eyes and took a more hands on approach as she got right up in Gordie’s face. “Listen ‘ere, cause I’m only gonna say this once,” Vicky spitefully barked as she repeatedly jabbed a sharp finger into Gordie’s broad chest, pure venom dripping from her words. “You so much as hurt her feelings even a TEENSY bit and I’ll be on ya like ugly on a Trubbish YA HEAR ME?”

Piers let out an exhausted sigh before pushing himself off the stage and onto his feet. He slowly strode up past Gordie and gave Vicky a gentle tap on her shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go…” he said, clearly having had his fill of dramatics for the day.

Vicky and Lizzy shared a quick nod before turning around and following their gym leader. As Piers quietly led the girls away, Vicky looked back and pointed two fingers to her eyes before pointing them right back at Gordie. Although Gordie took it as a playful warning, you had spent enough time with Vicky to know better.

And just like that, you and Gordie were left alone.

The silence around the two of you hung heavy and oppressive as your thoughts loomed with unanswered questions. So many things had happened, so many things needed to be cleared up, but where to even begin? With both parties wanting to say so much, neither could bring themselves to say anything.

This was unbearable to you. What had only been a minute felt like hours and you had to break the silence somehow. You cleared your throat and did your best to force a nonchalant smile. “That was a great match,” you said, trying to revive some of the enthusiasm you had earlier in the day.

“Oh, thank you I-...” Gordie was about to continue with some stock response when he stopped himself. At this point he was through with the niceties, with vague answers covering up how he really felt. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice now sure and determined.

You pursed your lips and remained quiet as he continued, “I did an awful thing to you. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done to a person and I can’t apologize enough. I was just… scared.” 

He felt a sense of relief as he finally admitted this not only to you, but to himself. “I was scared it would be a one-night thing. I was scared you would leave me. I was scared that I would never see you again…” his said in a somber tone as his voice grew shakier and his shoulders tensed up. “But instead, I did all of that to you. I hurt you the way I was afraid of you hurting me. And if that isn’t the most cowardly, the most pathetic, the most..., “ his voice trailed off. He stopped and let out a deep, frustrated sigh.

“Gordie… It’s okay,” you said quietly, unsure of what to do.

You were about to say something else when without any warning he pulled off his glasses and stared at you intensely. No more barriers and no more secrets. “No, it’s **not** okay,” he said with a stern voice as he took your hand. “I’m the biggest idiot in the whole bloody world because it took traveling all the way out here and nearly getting crushed in a Pokemon battle for me to figure out that at the end of the day all I want is to be with you. If you’ll have me of course...” He gripped your hand tightly before saying your name and muttering out, “I… I love you.”

The mention of love brought an intense blush to your cheeks. You knew you were in love and you knew you were heartbroken but to hear him say it brought a whole new sense of reality to the situation. The sound of your own heartbeat in your ears was deafening and you felt as though your entire body was shaking. You looked up at him and met with his gaze. The desperation and adoration found in his sweet, blue eyes was almost too much for you to bear. You knew you were in deep and it was only until now that you realized how long you have been drowning. With a hard swallow, you nodded and gently pressed your lips against his.

Gordie reeled away from you and broke the kiss. His eyes were wide with shock as they desperately scanned your face, searching for any kind of doubt but instead finding only absolute resolution in your love for him. Unable to hold back any longer, he flashed a wide grin before pulling you into a tight hug and a passionate kiss.

The force of his kiss was a delicate intermingling of hard and soft sensations. The strength of his hug teetered on the very edge of being too hard while at the same time his gentle hands held you oh so delicately. This duality represented so much of him, you couldn’t help but love every second of this. That being said, you were in desperate need of some air. You pulled back and let out a small laugh. “Gordie!” you chided playfully as you adjusted yourself, “I love you too but I also love being able to breathe.”

Gordie blinked. “You… love me too?”

With the blush still apparent on your face, you smiled bashfully and nodded.

You hardly had a moment to react before Gordie pulled you off your feet and swung you around in a grand hug. Gordie let out a joyful, boisterous laugh, “She said she loves me!” He continued to cheer loudly, feeling as though he was the greatest champion in all of Galar. His laughter was infectious and you found yourself (literally) being swept up in his joy. 

He set you back on your feet and gazed loving into your eyes, making an unspoken vow to never let you go again. He placed a gentle kiss on your forehead before enveloping you in his arms once more. You let out a contented sigh as you finally found the warmth you had been missing for so long.

  
  


* * *

The dining room of Bob’s Your Uncle hummed with the busy clatter of their lunch service. Of course, there was always a spot reserved for the restaurant’s favorite patron regardless of how hectic the restaurant got. At the very back of the dining room, in his usual spot sat Gordie accompanied by you, and just as he had promised a week ago, Milo.

“Oh, you should’ve seen ‘im! He was quite the sorry sight when he came to me for advice. I’ve never seen a man look so gutted in his life!” Milo let out a laugh as he continued to regale you with the talk he had with Gordie before he set off to Spikemuth. “Between you and me,” Milo leaned in close to you and whispered, “He spent half the conversation on the verge of tears.”

Gordie crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, not enjoying being the subject of an embarrassing story but feeling he owed it to Milo for his help. Still, he didn’t have to make it sound so dramatic. “Please. I was just having a rough morning. Don’t know where you’re getting this whole sob story business from...”

“Aww, I think it’s kinda cute,” you said as you reached your hand across the table and set it on Gordie’s arm. Gordie took one look at you and blushed slightly before turning his head away, a small pout evident on his lips.

Milo let out another laugh. “There you go again, Gordie! Acting all hard and tough when we both know you’re as soft as a Wooloo’s coat.” He continued to grin but was quickly distracted by the server that approached the table. The waitress set down drinks before the three of you and took her leave back into the kitchen.

Gordie grabbed his glass and was about to take a sip when a disgusted look washed across his face. “What in the bloody hell is that, Milo?”

Milo held up his glass that contained a dark green concoction with specks of orange floating in it. You were never one to judge people’s eating habits but, you had to admit, it did look gross as hell. Milo smiled as he swirled the glass, “It’s a new veggie shake they started offering!”

“It looks absolutely disgusting,” Gordie remarked as he continued to eye the objectionable drink. He cringed as Milo took a hearty sip of the drink.

Milo let out a loud cough, shaking his head furiously before setting the drink down. “Well you’ll be glad to know it IS absolutely disgusting!” He gently pushed the drink across the table, smiling as he heard you two share a laugh over his unfortunate drink experience. Milo quietly chuckled to himself as he pulled out his phone. “Say, you ever thank Piers?” he asked, not raising his head up from his phone screen.

Gordie stopped laughing and shot a confused stare over at Milo. “For what? The battle? I’m pretty sure I thanked him as soon as it was done.”

Milo rolled his eyes. “No, Gordie, for helping you with... all of this,” he said, vaguely gesturing between you and Gordie.

“Oh.” Gordie paused to actually think about it for a second. “...Should I thank him?”

An exasperated sigh left Milo’s lips. Even after all that has happened, Gordie was still as dense as ever when it came to personal matters. Not wanting to wait for Gordie to come to his own conclusion this time, he remarked, “How about I invite him to lunch then, yeah?”

Gordie shrugged. “Dunno if he’ll want to make the trip but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Are you alright with that?” He turned to look over at you, his expression noticeably softer when it was facing you.

You smiled and nodded. “I don’t think I ever got the chance to thank him either. I’d love to get to see him again,” you said before taking a sip of your own drink.

Milo grinned. “Well alright then! What should I tell him?” he pondered on his message for a bit before a small, devious smile came to his lips. “Hey Piers,” he spoke in a slow and teasing tone, enunciating each word as he typed them into his phone, “Fancy having lunch in Circhester today? Gordie wants to thank you for doing all the hard work in getting him a girlfriend!”

“Oi, don’t send that!” Gordie reached across the table in an attempt to snatch the phone. Unfortunately for him Milo was quick on the draw and pulled his phone out of Gordie’s reach.

“I’m just teasing you, mate!” Milo laughed as he continued to evade Gordie’s grab. You peered over the rim of your glass and watched quietly as both of these fully grown men, complete with jobs and responsibilities, took part in a game of “keep away.” However, this little back and forth was abruptly ended as a small “beep” emitted from Milo’s phone.

“Oh,” Milo blinked as he looked at his screen, “It sent.” He flashed Gordie a sheepish smile before shrugging. “Ah well, it's just Piers. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

A long, tired groan emitted from Gordie as he sat back down and buried his face in his hands. Just as he resigned himself to being completely embarrassed in front of Piers, he felt his own phone vibrate. He pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen.

“Milo,” Gordie remarked flatly as he blankly stared at his phone.

“Yeah?” Milo replied, feeling slightly guilty about the text.

“Where did you send that text?” Gordie asked, bearing no expression whatsoever.

“Umm, to the chat me and Piers are in,” Milo said as he looked down at his phone.

“No. You didn’t.” Gordie continued to stare with a dead-eye expression.

A dawning horror came to Milo’s face as his eyes widened with terror. He had pressed the chat with Piers’ icon but took little to no heed if there were any other icons present. The message Milo composed did reach Piers... but it also reached every other gym leader in the Galar region. In an instant the usually slow-moving chat came to life as a flurry of questions and emojis flooded the conversation.

“Oh my goodness. Gordie! I’m so sorry!” Milo panicked slightly as he tried his best to deflect the group chat but unfortunately the damage was already done. “Oh, ah, N-Nessa wants to come by! Is that okay?” He nervously asked as he hoped maybe another trainer’s support would ease the embarrassment. Judging by Gordie’s mile-long stare, it seemed that he wasn’t all too keen on more visitors. “A-ah, no of course not ah-haha... “ he smiled as he tried his best to force out an anxious laugh.

“Wait…” Gordie muttered as some semblance of life seemed to be coming back to his body. “Wait… waitwaitwait,” he continued to mutter as he opened the group chat once again.

You gave Gordie a worried look as you reached out to him. “Gordie, are you okay?” you asked, genuinely concerned about both his mental and emotional well-being.

He gave you no reply before jumping to his feet and quickly set to packing his bag. “Listen, we, we have to go. We have to go right now.” he hurriedly said, his voice laced with sheer panic. You didn’t have a chance to respond before he gently took your hand and pulled you out of your seat.

“Eh!?” Milo exclaimed in shock. “W-wait, Gordie! I’m sorry but I know we can work this out! Mate, it’s not so bad! S-see, look at all the cute heart emojis!”

Gordie ignored Milo and began to lead you out of the restaurant. You found yourself bumping into his back as he stopped dead in his tracks. Gordie looked out from beyond the restaurant windows and saw the outline of his demise. Despite his hurry, it seemed that it was too late.

“Hm? What is it?” you asked, sharing a concerned stare with Milo before returning your attention back to Gordie.

Gordie let out a defeated sigh as he took his seat. Whatever peaceful resolution he had hoped for today was instantly thrown out. He buried his head in his hands and grumbled,

“It’s my mother.”

**Author's Note:**

> S/O to all 10 of you Gordie fangirls out there  
> Y'all keep me LIVIN with content
> 
> Special thank you to Koro for kicking my ass and finally getting me to post something on AO3 again


End file.
